Conventional methods of measuring the clarity of an image have been practiced by observing with the eye black and white striped patterns transmitted through or reflected by the specimen and evaluating the clarity of the transmitted or reflected pattern. With such methods in which the evaluation is based on visual discrimination of the lines in the patterns, however, the values of the clarity always contained errors depending upon the individual observers.
The applicant in the present application has previously invented a method and apparatus for the measurement of the clarity of an image passed through a transparent material (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 683,218 filed Apr. 5, 1976, entitled Method and Apparatus for Measuring the Clearness of an Object) and now abandoned. This method and apparatus, however, is not capable of measuring the clarity of a reflected image.